God is Good

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!”

Psalm 31:19

Is not God good?

Today, instead of offering some advice on a  particular subject or telling you a story about our lives, I just want to focus on God. I want us to take a few minutes today and really think about how blessed we are and how good God has been to us over the years.
I am sure, if we were all sitting in a room together, coffee in hand (of course) and I asked you to share with me a time when God had blessed you, that you would not have to think very long before you could begin to share with me. Those are the times I want us to focus on today.

I know that life gets hard sometimes. I know that we all face our own trials from day to day. In John 16:33 Jesus warns  His disciples about this. He tells them:

“These things I have spoken unto you,

that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation:

but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.”

The same goes for us today. We are going to have tribulation, but we can still have joy. We know that God is good. He did not leave us to struggle; He sent to us the Holy Spirit. God is Good.

When we were younger we attended a youth camp here in our home town. Our song director would stand before us in the mornings and before we would start to sing,  he would say to us, “God is Good all the time.” In response we would say, “All the time God is good.”

That phrase has stuck with me all these years. When I woke up this morning, the first thought that crossed my mind was just how good God is to His children.

Let us think about some of the ways that God is good. I know that we will not have time to cover them all, but let us look at just a few together.

1. God is good; He saved us from our sins. John 3:16  tells us:

 “For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life.”

If this were the only thing we could say about God’s goodness it would be enough. Let us just reflect on this for a moment. God loved us so much, that He sent His only Son to die on a cross for our sins, so that we would not perish, but so that we could live forever with Him.  No matter what happens to us in this life, this is a promise that we can cling to forever.

2. God is good; He supplies our needs. Philippians 4:19 reads:

 “But my God shall supply all your need

according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

This verse does not say that God will supply some of our needs, or that if we beg and plead that God might supply our needs. This verse tells us that God will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory. We do not have to worry today. God is good; He will take care of His children.

3. God is good;  He hears and answers our prayers. In 1 John 5:14-15 we read:

 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him,

that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask,

we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

We discussed this in Monday’s post. God does hear and answer our prayers. It may not always be in the way that we would like, or in the way that we expect. This verse tells us that we are to ask according to His will. This means that God will answer our prayers in the way that He knows is best for us. We have to trust that His way is better than our way.

4. God is good; He has promised us a home in Heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1

” For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,

we have a building of God,

an house not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.”

Our homes here on this earth are temporary. Over time they are going to break down and crumble. God has promised us a home in Heaven that will last forever. Can you imagine getting to live with our Heavenly Father forever? That thought alone is enough to make us shout!

I pray that this has brought you some encouragement today. I pray that you will remember today that you are blessed beyond belief.

I hope from now on when you hear someone say, “God is good all the time,” that you will respond, “All the time, God is good.”

God bless you today, friend.

You are loved; you are blessed!